Best Preserves Jar Guide: Crafting, Profit, and Jelly Tips for Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley’s artisan goods are one of the most reliable and scalable ways to turn farmland into steady income. The Preserves Jar is a beginner-friendly, low-cost machine that converts fruit and vegetables into Jelly and pickles, letting you squeeze more value from every harvest. This guide covers everything: how to get the Preserves Jar, the exact preserves jar recipe, what makes jelly worth it, the best fruits to use, placement and automation tips, comparisons with the keg, and profitable production strategies for early-, mid-, and endgame players. Read on to master the most consistent artisan product in Stardew Valley.
What this guide covers
How to obtain and craft the Preserves Jar
Step-by-step: how to make jelly Stardew
Processing times, stacking rules, and input/output mechanics
Best fruits for jelly and value comparisons
Profit math and jelly vs keg profit analysis
Efficient farms: placement, routing, and automation ideas
Advanced tips: aging, iridium sprinklers synergy, and maximizing bundles/quests
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who this guide is for
This guide is written for players who want a complete, practical, and SEO-optimized reference on using the Preserves Jar to generate jelly income. It is useful for beginners wanting a dependable artisan setup and for experienced players looking to scale production efficiently.
Quick summary (one-paragraph cheat sheet)
Craft a Preserves Jar (50 wood, 40 stone, 8 coal, 1 iron bar), place it on your farm or in a shed, add fruit (any fruit → Jelly) or vegetables (vegetable → Pickles), wait 2 days for a finished product (longer if winter with no input), and sell for profit or use as gifts or in recipes. Use high-value fruits like starfruit and ancient fruit for maximum per-item returns, but common fruits paired with volume production (trees, foraging, greenhouse) often yield the best total profit. Combine with automated harvesters, sheds, and routing to scale.
Why the Preserves Jar matters in Stardew Valley
Low cost to craft and build, allowing early access.
Fast processing time (2 days), enabling quick product turnover.
Works on both crops and forage items—versatile for any farm style.
Creates artisan goods that are needed for bundles, quests, and gifts.
Unlike kegs which require some crops to ferment longer, Preserves Jar is a reliable short-cycle producer.
How to get the Preserves Jar
Where it becomes available
The Preserves Jar becomes available after you reach Farming Level 3. Once you hit Farming Level 3, the crafting recipe is unlocked in your crafting menu.
Crafting recipe
Crafting materials:
50 Wood
40 Stone
8 Coal
1 Iron Bar
Make sure you stockpile basic building materials in Spring Year 1—wood from chopping trees, stone from rocks, coal from early mining or burning wood in a furnace, and iron from mining deeper in the Mines.
Buying vs crafting
You cannot buy Preserves Jars from Robin or the general store—crafting is the primary route. Early-game players should prioritize one or two jars to start converting abundant fruits from trees or foraging.
Step-by-step: How to make Jelly in Stardew Valley
Step 1: Obtain fruit
You can produce fruit from several sources:
Fruit trees (apple, orange, peach, etc.) on your farm or planted around your property.
Foraging (seasonal wild fruit like blackberries, wild plums).
Farming crops that are technically defined as fruits (e.g., melons, but note melons are processed as fruit).
Greenhouse and seed shops (buy seeds and farm year-round).
Ancient Fruit and Starfruit (high value; ideal for greenhouse/iridium sprinkler setups).
Step 2: Place your Preserves Jar
Place the Preserves Jar anywhere accessible. Some placement tips:
Inside a shed to protect from weather and reduce clutter.
Near fruit tree rows or crop beds to shorten pickup routes.
Grouped in a processing area with kegs, furnaces, and chests for smooth automation.
Step 3: Insert the fruit or vegetable
Open the jar and place a single fruit or vegetable inside.
The jar consumes one item and turns it into Jelly if the input is a fruit, or Pickles if the input is a vegetable.
Step 4: Wait for processing
Standard processing time is 2 days for a finished product.
Leave the jar and collect once it's finished. You can place a chest nearby to set up automation for pickup with an auto-harvester or shipping bin.
Step 5: Collect and sell/use
Collect the Jelly item, which can be sold, given as a gift, used in recipes, or placed in bundles. For maximum profit, always check if a fruit produces a superior artisan value (e.g., starfruit jelly vs starfruit keg wine).
Processing mechanics and important details
Input → Output rules
All fruits produce Jelly.
All vegetables produce Pickles.
Foraging items considered fruits (e.g., Blackberries) produce Jelly.
Processing time
Default: 2 days in any season where the machine can operate (machines still work in winter).
Machines do not pause in winter; they continue processing as usual. Only crops are affected by season.
Stack behavior
The Preserves Jar processes one item at a time; you cannot add items to speed it up.
Placing multiple jars in a row lets you parallelize production.
Quality and artisan goods
Quality (silver, gold, iridium) of the input does not affect the Jelly quality; outputs are normal artisan items—not quality-based like crops.
However, the price of Jelly depends on the base value of the input (see profit math).
Recipes & crafting
The Preserves Jar itself is used only to process items; it is not consumed in crafting other recipes. Jelly has no crafting recipes that require the jar—it is an output item.
Best fruits for Jelly — value and availability
When choosing fruits to process into Jelly, you must weigh two factors: the base sell price of the fruit and the opportunity cost of other processing (e.g., making wine in a keg). High-value fruits like Starfruit and Ancient Fruit yield high individual Jelly prices, but turning them into wine in a keg often gives better returns for endgame profit. Low-to-mid value fruits (apples, peaches, melons) are excellent for mass processing because of volume and speed.
Top fruit choices and reasoning
Ancient Fruit — extremely valuable; ideal for greenhouse and iridium sprinkler farms. Using jars is fine for quick turnover, but kegs typically offer more per-item profit long-term.
Starfruit — high base value; great in jars for consistent profit, but kegs produce more valuable wine.
Melon — good value and common on farms; excellent for jars early-mid game.
Peach / Apple / Orange — tree fruits that are easy to generate in large numbers once trees are planted; great for jars because trees produce reliably each season.
Wild Forage Fruits (Blackberries) — free and abundant in certain seasons; perfect for raw profit via Preserves Jar with zero planting cost.
Best fruits by playstyle
Early game (low investment): Wild berries, common tree fruit, melon.
Mid game (scaling): Tree orchards (apple/peach/orange) and melons; use multiple jars in sheds.
Endgame (max profit): Ancient Fruit and Starfruit but usually processed in kegs; jars are viable if you need quick turnaround or product types for bundles/quests.
Profit math: Jelly vs Keg and when to use each
Understanding the numbers will let you choose between Preserves Jar and keg.
Basic formula
Sell price of artisan good = base price multiplier depending on input.
For Jelly, the sell price is roughly 2× the base value of the fruit (after some internal rounding and potential extra from artisan bonus).
For Wine (keg) using fruit, the sell price is generally higher—keg wine tends to multiply base fruit value by a larger factor but takes longer to produce (7 days for wine on average, depending on the fruit and whether aged in casks).
Practical guidance
Use Preserves Jar when you need quick turnover and steady cash flow; jars take only 2 days.
Use kegs for fruits like starfruit and ancient fruit where the time investment yields much larger returns and you have the patience and space.
For high-volume but low-to-mid value fruits (apples, peaches, melons), jars often give better effective earnings per day because you can run many in parallel.
Example comparisons (illustrative)
Melon: If a melon sells for X, jarred jelly may sell for ≈2X but is ready in 2 days. Keg wine may sell for ≈3X but takes 7 days. Running 4 jars in 2 days yields repeatable cycles; the keg’s longer time may reduce daily income unless you have many kegs.
Use your available furniture: run numerous jars in sheds for constant daily cash, and dedicate a set of kegs for starfruit/ancient fruit if you have the resources.
Efficient farm layouts and production pipelines
Small scale (start of Year 1–2)
Build 3–6 Preserves Jars.
Plant fruit trees early and stagger placement to harvest conveniently.
Place jars near a chest and shipping bin for manual work; as you expand, move to automated pickups.
Medium scale (mid-game)
Set up a processing shed: craft a shed and place 20–40 jars inside.
Route fruit: plant rows of trees around the shed or use quick-carry routes.
Use auto-harvest tools (like the Tractor mod if you mod the game) or hire help if playing co-op.
Large scale (late-game)
Fully dedicated processing barns or sheds with conveyor-like layout: chest for inputs → jars → chest for outputs.
Combine Preserves Jars with kegs: jars for mid-tier fruit, kegs for starfruit and ancient fruit.
Use iridium sprinklers and greenhouse planting to supply large volumes year-round.
Automation tips (vanilla)
Use Junimo huts to harvest non-tree crops, not trees. For trees, manually harvest or use mods.
Place chests for inputs near jars and use the "Move to Chest" command if you want a manual but efficient pipeline.
For shipping, place jars near a path to the shipping bin to shorten runs.
Placement and building strategy
Why sheds are ideal
Shelters free up outdoor space and prevent accidental collisions during heavy traffic.
Sheds let you organize multiple jars and kegs in one protected area.
They create a tidy base for automation and aesthetic design.
Layout example inside a shed
Row 1: Input chests and workbench.
Row 2–n: Preserves Jars in sequence with space to walk between rows.
Row end: Output chest and shipping bin access.
This clean layout increases efficiency when you are collecting and restocking.
Using Jelly: beyond selling
Gifts and quests
Jelly is a liked or loved gift for several villagers (check preferences), making it useful for relationship building.
Use jelly to complete bundles requiring artisan goods.
Recipes and cooking
Jelly appears in some crafting recipes and community bundles; keep an eye out for festival demands and quests that ask for specific goods.
Turning jelly into profit multipliers
Preserve jars are a good source of artisan goods used in garden layouts and gift packs you can craft and sell at higher prices or use for festivals and quests for extra rewards.
Advanced strategies
1. Batch production rhythm
Stagger your jars so not every jar finishes on the same day—this spreads workload and shipping income across multiple days.
2. Seasonal optimization
Plant fruit trees and stockpile seasonal fruits so you can process them all year, especially in winter when field crops are limited. Greenhouses are ideal for continuous fruit supply.
3. Volume vs value balancing
If you have limited production space, prioritize higher-value fruits in kegs, and run jars on excess or lower-value fruit. If you have tons of space (sheds, barns), run both systems at scale.
4. Pairing with farming professions
Choose Farming professions that increase overall crop value or artisan value (check profession specifics) to further increase the value of Jelly.
5. Use for community center and quests
Keep a small rotation of jars that produce items used for bundles and quests so you don’t have to sell everything automatically.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Mistake: Processing starfruit exclusively in jars. Fix: Use kegs for starfruit if you want the highest long-term profit.
Mistake: Storing jars scattered across the farm with no organization. Fix: Centralize in a shed or processing area.
Mistake: Ignoring seasonal fruit stockpiles. Fix: Plan ahead and store fruit in chests for processing during low-yield seasons.
Mistake: Not considering artisan item demand for bundles/quests. Fix: Keep a reserve for community center needs.
Beginner-to-endgame roadmap
Early game goals (Year 1)
Hit Farming Level 3 to unlock Preserves Jar.
Craft 2–4 jars to start processing wild fruits and early crops.
Plant a few fruit trees as soon as possible; they take time to mature but pay off.
Mid game goals (Year 2–3)
Expand to a dedicated processing shed with 10–30 jars.
Start saving high-value fruits for kegs while processing common fruit in jars for steady income.
Install iridium sprinklers and plan greenhouse for year-round ancient fruit or starfruit.
Endgame goals (Year 4+)
Full orchard with greenhouse ancient fruit and starfruit rows.
Mix of hundreds of jars and kegs depending on desired income and product mix.
Optimize for daily revenue and manage bundles/recipes from excess artisan goods.
Examples: production plans
Example A — Beginner: 6 jars, orchard start
Craft 6 jars.
Plant 6 fruit trees (one of each if you want variety).
Use jars to process tree fruits; harvest every season and restock jars.
Expected effect: Steadier cash, manageable workload.
Example B — Mid-game: 30 jars in a shed
Build a shed, craft 30 jars, place in tight grid.
Plant an orchard close by or stockpile fruit in chests.
Stagger placements to reduce simultaneous workload.
Expected effect: Consistent daily income and artisan goods inventory.
Example C — Endgame: mixed setup
Greenhouse: Ancient Fruit rows tied to kegs (for wine) and a side line to jars for quick artisan products.
Multiple sheds: jars for common fruits; large keg array for starfruit and ancient fruit.
Expected effect: Massive revenue and diversified products for selling, gifting, and bundle completion.
FAQs
What is the Preserves Jar crafting recipe?
Crafting requires 50 Wood, 40 Stone, 8 Coal, and 1 Iron Bar; recipe unlocks at Farming Level 3.
How long does it take to make Jelly in a Preserves Jar?
Standard processing time is 2 days for each item.
Can you use any fruit for Jelly?
Yes. Any fruit produces Jelly; vegetables produce Pickles.
Is Jelly better than wine in a keg?
It depends. Keg wine typically sells for more per fruit but takes longer. Jars offer quick turnover and are better for mid-value fruits and mass volume production.
Does fruit quality affect Jelly price?
No. The quality tier of the input fruit (silver/gold/iridium crops) does not change the quality of Jelly; the base sell price is based on the fruit’s base value.
Should I put Preserves Jars inside a shed?
Yes—sheds let you centralize production, protect layout, and scale more cleanly.
Can Preserves Jars work in winter?
Yes, jars operate year-round as long as you have input fruit (greenhouse or stored fruit).
How many jars should I have?
Start with 3–6 early, scale to dozens mid-game; late-game you can have hundreds depending on space and goals.
Do Preserves Jars consume fuel or maintenance?
No, they require only the input item and time—no fuel or other upkeep.
Can fruit from forage be processed?
Yes—wild foraged fruit like blackberries can be processed into Jelly.
Final checklist — setup to profit
Unlock recipe at Farming Level 3.
Craft initial jars: 3–6 to start.
Build a shed when scaling beyond a handful.
Use high-volume, low-to-mid value fruits in jars for best daily income.
Reserve starfruit and ancient fruit for kegs if you prioritize maximum per-item return.
Place input and output chests to streamline restocking and collection.
Stagger processing to spread workload.
Keep a reserve for bundles and gifting.
Conclusion
The Preserves Jar is one of the most dependable tools for turning everyday fruit into consistent income and useful artisan goods. Whether you’re an early starter building your first orchard or an endgame farmer running a greenhouse full of ancient fruit, jars will be part of a balanced, resilient economy. Use jars for fast cycles and volume, use kegs for high-value fruit when you can afford the time, and combine both strategically to keep your shipping bin full and your relationships strong.
Optimized timelines for planting and harvesting fruit trees to align with Preserves Jar output
Below are practical, game-ready timelines and daily routines you can copy into play. Each plan assumes the Preserves Jar processes fruit in 2 days, and fruit trees take 28 days to mature and then produce fruit daily during their season. Plans show how to stagger plantings, schedule harvests, and stock jars/chests so your processing is steady, efficient, and never bottlenecked.
Quick timing facts (baseline assumptions)
Fruit tree growth time: 28 days until maturity.
Mature tree production: 1 fruit per tree per day while in-season.
Preserves Jar processing time: 2 days per item.
Work goal: keep jars fed continuously without massive single-day spikes.
Use these facts to sync orchard output with the 2-day jar cycle.
Core strategy (how and why)
Stagger tree plantings across the 28‑day growth window so trees mature at different dates; this spreads harvest throughout the season.
Arrange harvest cycles on a 2‑day rhythm to match the jar processing window (collect, fill jars, collect again in 2 days).
Use input chests near jars so you can stockpile fruit in small batches and keep jars continuously full.
Reserve a portion of high-value fruit for kegs if you use them; route the remainder to jars for steady income and bundle items.
Basic schedule templates
Template A — Small orchard (6–12 trees)
Best for early/mid game, limited jars (3–6).
Planting timeline
Day 1 (planting day): Plant 6 trees (or as many as you have saplings).
Optionally stagger: Plant 3 at Day 1 and 3 at Day 7 to split maturity.
Maturation & first harvest
Trees mature on Day 29 (28 days after planting). If staggered, second batch matures on Day 36.
Harvest rhythm
Once mature and in season, collect fruit every 2 days. Example: Harvest Day 29, Day 31, Day 33,...
Each harvest yields ~6 fruit/day (if trees produce daily and you harvest every 2 days you’ll collect about 12 fruit per harvest interval if they produce every day; but to match jars, think in per-day terms: 6 trees = 6 fruit/day → 12 fruit per 2-day jar cycle).
Jar capacity planning
If you have 6 trees and 3 jars: each 2-day cycle produces ~12 fruit → 12 jars needed across 2 days = 6 jars/day effective throughput; with 3 jars you can process 3 fruit every 2 days, so you’ll accumulate fruit unless you increase jars to 6 (one jar per two fruit per 2-day cycle). Aim: 1 jar per 2 fruit produced per 2 days (so 6 trees producing 12 fruit/2 days → 6 jars for full throughput).
Practical tip
Start with 3–6 jars and a chest: harvest, add half to jars, sell the rest if you need cash; expand jars as orchard grows.
Template B — Medium orchard (30 trees) — shed setup
Good midgame plan with a 30-jar shed.
Planting timeline
Stagger planting by batches of 6 trees every 5 days across a 28-day window: Day 1 (6 trees), Day 6 (6 trees), Day 11, Day 16, Day 21. Last batch at Day 26 if you want extra spread. This creates five cohorts that mature at different times 28 days after each planting.
Maturation & harvest rhythm
Each cohort starts producing after its 28-day growth period, producing ~6 fruit/day per cohort once mature.
Harvest schedule: collect from one cohort every day or harvest two cohorts every other day to align with 2-day jar cycles. For simplicity, harvest half the orchard every 2 days:
Day A: harvest Cohorts 1–3 → ~18 fruit/day × 2 days = ~36 fruit to fill jars for that 2-day cycle.
Day C (two days later): harvest Cohorts 4–5 → similar yield.
Jar and chest planning
If you run 30 jars in a shed and harvest ~36 fruit per 2-day cycle, you can process almost every fruit directly — 30 jars process 30 fruit every 2 days; the extra 6 fruit go to a chest or saved for kegs.
Layout: input chest beside shed, row of 30 jars, output chest for finished Jelly; label chests for “Fruit In” and “Jar Out.”
Practical tip
Stagger harvests so that each 2-day jar cycle is mostly full — this avoids a bulky single-day harvest and spreads income.
Template C — Large orchard (100+ trees) — mixed jars + kegs
Endgame plan to support hundreds of jars and a keg array.
Planting timeline
Stagger plantings every 2–3 days across the 28-day window to produce daily small cohorts. Example: 14 cohorts × 7 trees each = 98 trees, planted every 2 days across ~28 days. Each cohort matures on its own schedule.
Maturation & harvest rhythm
Harvest daily or in 2-day windows depending on processing capacity. With many cohorts, stability is high: you’ll get a near-constant daily supply of fruit.
Run a mixed-processing approach:
Reserve top X% of high-value fruit for kegs (e.g., starfruit/ancient fruit).
Route the rest to jars for steady Jelly production.
Jar/keg sizing rule of thumb
For a continuous system, target the number of jars ≈ (total daily fruit production × 2 days) since each jar uses 1 fruit per 2-day processing window.
Example: 100 trees → ~100 fruit/day → need ~200 jars to process all fruit every 2 days; reduce jar count if you keep some for kegs, or accept a chest buffer.
Practical tip
Use multiple sheds and distribute jars across them to avoid walking time; place shipping bin centrally or near the largest shed.
Exact daily routines you can adopt
Daily routine (minimal time investment)
Walk to orchard; harvest scheduled cohorts (5–10 minutes).
Drop harvested fruit in Fruit In chest beside the shed.
Restock jars from the chest until jars are full.
Pick up finished Jelly from output chest and ship or store.
Repeat every 2 days.
Estimated time: 10–20 minutes every second day for medium-sized orchards.
Daily routine (high-efficiency)
Harvest one cohort per day (small cohort size due to tight staggering).
Fill jars and check kegs (rotate reserved fruit).
Ship a portion if needed to prevent chest overflow.
Replant trees only if you’re replacing dead saplings or reconfiguring layout (trees are long-term investments — avoid frequent replanting).
Estimated time: 5–15 minutes per day for large, well-staggered orchards.
Sample 28-day planting calendar (copyable)
Goal: 28‑day maturity spread to produce manageable harvests.
Day 1: Plant Cohort 1 (7 trees)
Day 3: Plant Cohort 2 (7 trees)
Day 5: Plant Cohort 3 (7 trees)
Day 7: Plant Cohort 4 (7 trees)
Day 9: Plant Cohort 5 (7 trees)
Day 11: Plant Cohort 6 (7 trees)
Day 13: Plant Cohort 7 (7 trees)
Day 15: Plant Cohort 8 (7 trees)
Day 17: Plant Cohort 9 (7 trees)
Day 19: Plant Cohort 10 (7 trees)
Day 21: Plant Cohort 11 (7 trees)
Day 23: Plant Cohort 12 (7 trees)
Day 25: Plant Cohort 13 (7 trees)
Day 27: Plant Cohort 14 (7 trees)
This gives 14 cohorts of ~7 trees → ~98 trees total. Each cohort matures 28 days after planting, giving near-daily, small harvests you can feed to jars on a 2-day cycle or daily depending on capacity.
Chest and shed placement rules to maximize throughput
Keep one Fruit In chest at the shed entrance for harvested fruit.
Keep one Jar Out chest at the shed exit for finished Jelly.
Place jars in rows so you can approach and restock quickly; leave one tile walkway for fast movement.
If you have multiple sheds, designate one for jars and one for kegs to avoid congestion.
Staggering examples tied to jar counts
6 trees → 6 fruit/day → need ~6 jars (to process 12 fruit/2 days) for full throughput.
30 trees → 30 fruit/day → need ~30 jars (to process 60 fruit/2 days) for full throughput.
100 trees → 100 fruit/day → need ~100 jars per day equivalent → ~200 jars to process all every 2 days; or split: 120 jars + 40 kegs if reserving a portion for wine.
Use the rule: required jars ≈ (daily fruit production) to process everything without backlog (because each jar processes 1 fruit every 2 days).
Handling off-season and greenhouse
Trees won’t produce outside their season, but you can store fruit in chests and process year-round.
Greenhouse: plant high-value fruit (Ancient Fruit) for year-round supply; decide ratio for kegs vs jars based on profit targets.
Dealing with special cases
If you have more fruit than jars
Option A: Sell excess raw fruit if cash needed now.
Option B: Put extra fruit into kegs (for wine) if you’re willing to wait.
Option C: Build more sheds/jars or stagger plantings more thinly.
If you run out of fruit for jars
Buffer plan: keep a 2–4 day chest reserve labeled “Jar Buffer” so you always have enough to fill jars for a 2-day cycle even on bad-weather harvest dips.
Quick checklist to implement this plan in your next play session
Decide orchard size and target jars (use jar ≈ daily fruit rule).
Buy/plant saplings using the 28‑day stagger calendar above.
Build shed(s) sized for your jar count.
Place “Fruit In” and “Jar Out” chests, arrange jars in rows.
Start harvest rhythm: harvest cohorts on a 2‑day schedule and stock jars.
Final notes and scaling advice
Start small and scale: test a 6–12 tree orchard with 6–12 jars to learn the rhythm.
Use the 28‑day growth + 2‑day processing relationship to plan planting and jar counts before major expansions.
Over time, increase stagger granularity (plant every 2–3 days) to smooth daily work and minimize spikes.
28-day Planting Calendar — 6 Trees (Compact orchard)
Goal: steady small harvests; feed Preserves Jars with minimal daily effort.
Total trees: 6; cohorts: 3 cohorts of 2 trees each.
Planting cadence: plant one cohort every 9 days to spread maturity across the 28-day growth window.
Printable calendar (day = planting day; cohort numbers = which trees to plant)
Day 1: Plant Cohort A — Tree 1, Tree 2
Day 10: Plant Cohort B — Tree 3, Tree 4
Day 19: Plant Cohort C — Tree 5, Tree 6
Maturation and harvest notes
Cohort A matures Day 29 → produces Day 29 onwards (in-season).
Cohort B matures Day 38.
Cohort C matures Day 47.
Harvest schedule once mature: collect every 2 days (Day N, N+2, N+4...) to sync with 2-day Preserves Jar cycles.
Processing capacity guideline
Day-of-harvest fruit: ~2 fruit/tree/day. With 6 trees you’ll harvest ~6 fruit/day. To avoid backlog, aim for 3–6 jars (one jar per daily fruit is conservative; 6 jars fully process 12 fruit every 2 days).
Quick printable checklist
Buy 6 saplings before Day 1.
Mark Days 1, 10, 19 in your in-game calendar.
Prepare 3–6 Preserves Jars and one “Fruit In” chest near your processing shed.
28-day Planting Calendar — 30 Trees (Mid-sized orchard)
Goal: steady mid-game output for a 30-jar shed.
Total trees: 30; cohorts: 5 cohorts of 6 trees each.
Planting cadence: plant one cohort every 6 days to create regular harvest waves.
Printable calendar
Day 1: Plant Cohort 1 — Trees 1–6
Day 7: Plant Cohort 2 — Trees 7–12
Day 13: Plant Cohort 3 — Trees 13–18
Day 19: Plant Cohort 4 — Trees 19–24
Day 25: Plant Cohort 5 — Trees 25–30
Maturation and harvest notes
Cohort 1 matures Day 29; Cohort 2 matures Day 35; Cohort 3 matures Day 41; Cohort 4 matures Day 47; Cohort 5 matures Day 53.
Harvest strategy: harvest two cohorts every 2 days (example: Day A harvest Cohorts 1+2, Day C harvest Cohorts 3+4, Day E harvest Cohort 5 + smaller fill from greenhouse/forage). This evens out the processing load for 30 jars.
Processing capacity guideline
Expected daily yield once all mature: ~30 fruit/day → need ~30 jars to process ~60 fruit every 2 days. Match jar count to daily production for minimal buffer requirement.
Quick printable checklist
Buy 30 saplings across Weeks 1–4; set reminders for Days 1, 7, 13, 19, 25.
Build a shed sized for 30 jars and prep two chests: Fruit In and Jar Out.
Stagger harvests so jars are filled every other day.
28-day Planting Calendar — 100 Trees (Large orchard)
Goal: high-volume, near-continuous fruit supply for hundreds of jars and kegs.
Total trees: 100; cohorts: 14 cohorts (approx) with 7 trees each for near-daily harvests.
Planting cadence: plant cohorts every 2 days across ~28 days.
Printable calendar (14 cohorts × ~7 trees)
Day 1: Cohort 1 — Trees 1–7
Day 3: Cohort 2 — Trees 8–14
Day 5: Cohort 3 — Trees 15–21
Day 7: Cohort 4 — Trees 22–28
Day 9: Cohort 5 — Trees 29–35
Day 11: Cohort 6 — Trees 36–42
Day 13: Cohort 7 — Trees 43–49
Day 15: Cohort 8 — Trees 50–56
Day 17: Cohort 9 — Trees 57–63
Day 19: Cohort 10 — Trees 64–70
Day 21: Cohort 11 — Trees 71–77
Day 23: Cohort 12 — Trees 78–84
Day 25: Cohort 13 — Trees 85–91
Day 27: Cohort 14 — Trees 92–98
Optional Day 29: Plant remaining 2 trees (99–100) if needed
Maturation and harvest notes
Each cohort matures 28 days after its planting day, giving near-daily small harvests once all cohorts are mature.
Harvest rhythm: you can harvest daily a small number of trees (≈7 trees/day) and fill jars daily or every 2 days depending on jar count and workload.
Processing capacity guideline
With ~100 fruit/day, you’ll need roughly 100 jars to fully process daily output (or ~200 jars to clear everything every 2 days). Alternatively split: use 120 jars + 40 kegs for balanced profit/time mix.
Quick printable checklist
Plan sapling purchases across two weeks; plant every two days.
Build multiple sheds, each sized for ~30–40 jars to reduce walk time.
Set up a chest network: several Fruit In chests across orchard and Jar Out chests in each shed.
Labeled Shed Floorplan — 30 Jars (text-based, printable)
Dimensions: 9 tiles wide × 7 tiles deep (fits 30 jars in 3 rows of 10 with walkway).
Legend: [FI] = Fruit In chest, [JO] = Jar Out chest, [J] = Preserves Jar, [W] = walkway tile.
Top-down grid (rows numbered top → bottom; columns left → right)
Row 1: FI W J J J J J J J J J
Row 2: W W J J J J J J J J J
Row 3: W W J J J J J J J J J
Row 4: W W J J J J J J J J J
Row 5: W W J J J J J J J J J
Row 6: W W J J J J J J J J J
Row 7: JO W W W W W W W W W
Floorplan details and placement notes
Entrance is at Row 1, Column 2 (walkway); place your workbench or anvil here if desired.
Fruit In chest placed at Row 1, Column 1 ([FI]) so you can drop harvested fruit quickly.
Jars arranged in contiguous blocks (rows 1–6 columns 3–12) for fast restocking; this places 30 jars in total across the shed.
Jar Out chest placed near the exit at Row 7, Column 1 ([JO]) so finished Jelly can be picked and shipped easily.
Walkway tiles in Column 2 allow you to walk the length of the shed and access each jar tile without obstruction.
Practical workflow using this plan
Harvest fruit; drop into Fruit In chest (Row 1, Col 1).
Move along walkway (Column 2), restock jars from chest sequentially.
Collect finished Jelly from jars to Jar Out chest during collection run; ship or store from there.
Adaptations
If you want to add kegs, reserve the last two columns for kegs and add a separate Keg Out chest at the bottom-right corner.
For aesthetic or space reasons, flip orientation so the entrance faces your farm path.
Step‑by‑Step Year 1 Play Schedule (integrated with tree planting and early objectives)
Overview: This schedule balances early income, tool upgrades, basic building, and the orchard plan. It assumes standard Stardew Valley pacing and focuses on hitting the Farming Level 3 milestone early to unlock the Preserves Jar recipe, while preparing and planting fruit trees on the 28-day staggered calendars above.
Spring — Foundation and preparation (Days 1–28)
Day 1–3: Clear immediate farm area, plant initial Spring seeds (parsnips/cauliflowers if chosen), and start chopping wood/collecting stone. Buy 6 saplings if you can afford (optional for a 6-tree plan).
Day 4–7: Mine a few floors to collect 40 stone and at least some coal; upgrade tools as needed. Prioritize reaching 50 wood and 40 stone totals early.
Day 8–14: Continue farming and foraging. Aim to reach Farming Level 2–3 via crop harvests. If you reach Farming Level 3, you unlock Preserves Jar recipe—craft 2–3 jars to begin processing foraged fruit.
Day 15–21: Prepare orchard plots (tile placement, sprinkler planning). Buy additional saplings if targeting 30 or more trees (saplings become available after Season 2 vendor windows; plan purchases around gold availability).
Day 22–28: Plant first cohort(s) per your 28-day calendar (Day 1 planting for whichever plan you chose). Continue crop rotation and foraging to maintain income.
Summer — Build momentum (Days 29–56)
Early Summer (Days 29–35): Expect Cohort 1 trees to mature if you planted at Day 1 in Spring. Harvest initial fruit and feed jars. If not mature yet (saplings bought later), use greenhouse/forage to feed jars.
Mid Summer (Days 36–49): Plant Cohorts according to the 28-day schedule (e.g., Day 7, Day 13 planting windows for the 30-tree plan). Build or upgrade a small shed to house up to 10–30 jars when possible. Prioritize unlocking coop/crafting bench or basic buildings per your farm style.
Late Summer (Days 50–56): As more cohorts mature, scale jar production. Reinvest artisan profits into more saplings, jars, and a shed.
Fall — Scale and automation prep (Days 57–84)
Early Fall (Days 57–63): Harvest fruit and stagger jars to create a steady 2-day processing rhythm. If you have 30 trees maturing, begin moving jars into the shed and placing Fruit In/Jar Out chests.
Mid Fall (Days 64–77): Start saving gold for irrigation (sprinklers) and greenhouse repairs/expansion. Continue stagger plantings if you’re still filling cohorts. Upgrade tools (e.g., axe or pickaxe) as needed.
Late Fall (Days 78–84): Optimize harvest routes; consider placing Junimo Hut later if you want automation for crop harvest (note Junimos don’t harvest trees).
Winter — Consolidate and plan (Days 85–112)
Winter is perfect for consolidation and crafting. Trees don’t produce (unless greenhouse), but jars still run if you have stored fruit. Use the season to:
Expand sheds and craft additional jars (stockpile wood/stone/iron/coal).
Buy remaining saplings from Year 1 stores or plan next-season purchases.
Reconfigure orchard layout for Year 2: add more water sources, paths, and chests.
Year 1 endgame push — preparing Year 2 (Days 113–140)
Use artisan income to purchase more saplings and expand to your planned number (6 / 30 / 100).
If you’ve reached Farming Level 5 by now, select Farming profession bonuses that improve artisan product value (choose the most beneficial for your chosen strategy).
Build additional sheds and organize jar rows. If you want kegs, start crafting them for starfruit/greenhouse fruit later.
Daily microtasks to maintain rhythm (ongoing)
Every 2 days: Harvest scheduled cohorts per your planting calendar; restock jars from Fruit In chest.
Every day: Check kegs, ship excess fruit if chests fill, and water crops that aren’t on sprinklers.
Weekly: Replenish materials (wood/stone/coal) to craft more jars or shed expansions.
Milestones to aim for by end of Year 1
Farming Level 3 to unlock Preserves Jar (early).
A working shed with 6–30 jars depending on plan; an organized chest system.
A 28-day planting cadence established and cohorts planted for Year 2.
Greenhouse planning started (funding and layout).
A reserve of artisan goods to fund expansions and tool upgrades.
Stay Connected with Haplo Gaming Chef
Haplo Gaming Chef blends gaming guides with casual cooking streams for a truly unique viewer experience. Whether you’re here for clean, no-nonsense walkthroughs or just want to chill with some cozy cooking content between game sessions, this is the place for you. From full game unlock guides to live recipe prep and casual chats, Haplo Gaming Chef delivers content that’s both informative and enjoyable.
You Can Follow Along On Every Major Platform:
YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, Flipboard, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Medium, Blogger, and even on Google Business.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment